


I'll be yours for a thousand lives

by lwtmehome



Series: You make my whole world feel so right (when it's wrong) [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: After Happily Ever After, And Niall and Liam and Zayn too, Domestic Fluff, Episode: s02e06 One Step Too Many, Everybody's just really good parents, Fluff, I just wanted to write more kids, Kid Fic, Louis and Harry are ace fathers tho, M/M, Married Life, Self-Indulgent, still happily tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 09:57:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14234784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lwtmehome/pseuds/lwtmehome
Summary: Eleven years after Louis decided all he needs is his daughter, friends, family and one Harry Styles, we have: one huge, messy family with just about a hundred kids and therealHappily Ever After (after).Or, the epilogue of the epilogue ofYou make my whole world feel so right (when it's wrong)





	I'll be yours for a thousand lives

**Author's Note:**

> Truthfully, I've been cooking this up ever since I posted YMMWWFSR(WIW), but I also have two other, actual fics, coming along, so I only now finished this one. Basically, it's just me shamelessly thinking how their lives would look two years after the epilogue, which means this takes place in **2027**. 
> 
> It's just really domestic and all that. I'll put the ages of the (important-ish) people mentioned in the fic at the end of the chapter as well as the names of the kids (because there are loads of them) and who is whose kid and so on. Read if you want clarity, really.
> 
>  **I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OR ONE DIRECTION BUT THE STORY IS MINE, SO PLEASE DON'T DISTRIBUTE IT OR TRANSLATE IT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.** Also, this is in _no way based on reality, work of fiction, you get it, right? Right._
> 
> Oh. And, the title is from _Liam Payne's and Rita Ora's song 'For you'_ , credits to them on that one! 
> 
>  
> 
> **Ps. I literally do not know if electric cars are a thing in 2027, do not even think about that when you read this, please, I'm just a lil' human.**

**In 2027, 2 years after epilogue:**

To anyone outsider, the noise in the house would be deafening. Not in the piercing-your-ears kind of way, but just loud and garbled, no words spoken distinguishable. To anyone outsider, stepping inside the house that is decidedly much too small to hold such a vast amount of people, it would probably appear like a circus, rather than a birthday party. They would struggle avoiding stepping on toys and torn gift wrapping paper, probably narrowly avoid bumping into joyfully laughing and shrieking children who are running away from their God fathers and cousins and aunts and every other family member who’s felt nice and energetic enough to chase them in a game of tag.

Alas, none of the people in the house are outsiders. They’re family, the lot of them – a big, messy family.

”Elias!” Harry shrieks as their four-year-old son pulls on little-Kimmy’s pigtail, his pout frustratingly cute, even when the poor girl bursts into tears.

Niall appears absolutely out of nowhere, his ears having developed that parental sense to recognize their kid’s cry, even in a house full of children. ”Kimmy? What happened, are you okay?” The man basically croons as he cradles the inconsolably sniffling kid in his arms.

Louis watches from the kitchen doorway with Dan, both mildly amused, even though Louis hasn’t slept properly for the past week or two. He thinks he’s finally getting old, soon to reach the whopping age of fourty-seven and still having to raise a son of such young age. They can hear Harry scolding the toddler, telling him to apologise to little-Kimmy, though the one-year-old doesn’t even seem to care about the incident anymore, already much more intrigued by Niall’s glasses.

”Don’t want to,” Elias grumbles as Harry’s crouching next to him, the little lad’s arms crossing over his tiny chest.

”Elias,” Harry’s voice is patient, but Louis can hear the undertone, the one that tells him his husband’s tone is just about to reach a new pitch, ”We don’t hurt others. We don’t hit them, push them or pull their hair. It’s very mean to do that. You hurt little-Kimmy. You have to apologise, she’s very sad.”

The point is sort of dulled by the fact that Kimmy is actually laughing by now, trying to wriggle out of her father’s grasp. Niall seems determined to see Elias’ punishment through, however, so he keeps reeling Kimmy back in every time she gains a foot or two of distance.

”I’m sowwy,” Elias mumbles after a while of hesitation, though he doesn’t seem too happy about it.

The delight in Harry’s voice is evident when he smacks a wet kiss on the boy’s cheek and releases him, allowing him to join in with his cousins again. Niall eases his gentle grip on Kimmy as well, the girl waddling towards the couches where Andie, her mother, is sitting and chatting away with Lottie and Fizzy, seemingly deep-rooted into the conversation. She still picks the girl up when Kimmy comes clinging to her legs.

”How many birthdays have we had this year?” Dan muses from beside Louis, his tone implying it’s more of a rhetorical question than anything.

Despite this, Harry is able to provide him with an answer when he appears to their side. ”Six big parties,” he informs, eyes keeping track of Elias who’s running after Lottie’s youngest one, Albie, and struggling due to his much shorter legs, ”I think we should just start celebrating the kids’ birthdays like on one weekend in the summer.”

”I agree,” Dan says as Louis nods his agreement, ”I don’t personally mind, got all the time with what the retirement and all, but it can’t be easy to drive up to Manchester all the way from London for the girls.”

”Yeah,” Louis nods again, his eyes drifting to his four sisters who still locate in London, despite his many pleads of them to move closer to Manchester, closer to their family. ”I think Lottie’s actually considering moving here as well. Tommy has a chance for a job at one of the tech companies downtown and their house is getting a little small for all six of them.”

Harry’s brows shoot up and his expression brightens. ”Really? That means we’ll be able to coax Nicola to watch over Eli in just few short years.”

Louis’ eyes twinkle as he pulls Harry closer by the waist, the man naturally leaning to his side. ”As much as I enjoy seeing how I’ve tainted you during all of our years together, love – using my dear sister’s first-born to our advantage, _wow_ , Harry,” he smirks at the taller, ”Nic is only nine. She’s hardly capable of taking care of herself, let alone a hyper-active kid.”

”I know,” the younger man huffs, smile playing on his lips, ”that’s why I said ’in a few years’.”

Louis isn’t completely opposed to thrusting Elias for someone to babysit for a night or two – it has been quite a while since him and Harry had the chance to do something between just the two of them – but maybe they should trust their precious son in the capable hands of Lottie, rather than her daughter. And even if the family would still stall with their moving, Louis thinks it’s high time for him and his loved one to actually break-free from the routine for a while, just a few days at least. Even though all Fizzy, Lottie and the older twins still live in London, they have quite an excessive support network here in Manchester, literally every single one of their closest family living within the 60 kilometers radius, save for those four, their families and Gemma’s family. There’s hardly a shortage of nannies, really.

”We can watch Eli whenever you need,” Liam’s voice sounds from behind them, causing the trio to turn around, coming face to face with him and Zayn, ”I mean, Sam’s absolutely obsessed with him. I think he’s convinced Elias is his little brother.”

All of them laugh, having seen it with their own eyes more than once, how enamored Liam and Zayn’s youngest one has become of Elias – he’s properly doting on the boy, has been for about a year now. Louis doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to express how happy he’d been when his best friends had informed them they’d be buying a house in Manchester, just short of two years ago. They still held on to their London flat as well, though they’re currently subletting it, unable to shake off the urban dust completely at one go.

”Yeah, it’s not a bother,” Zayn adds as their laughs dim to chuckles.

Louis squeezes Harry’s side in question, but the younger’s frowning at their two friends. ”I feel bad that you always take him and we never take Grace and Sam in. We should do that one of these days, too,” he insists even though Louis wishes he could just kick his dear husband in the shin for even suggesting that.

He loves all of the children involved in their lives, but as previously mentioned, he’s also getting old and a little more tired. One four-year-old is plenty work for him and his body.

”Nonsense,” Liam waves his hand and belly-laughs. ”We literally have an army of babysitters on both mine and Zayn’s families. Like, Zayn’s younger sisters still haven’t settled down, so they’re just excited to be the cool aunts. We’re happy to let them.”

Zayn nods along, grinning.

Harry doesn’t seem too convinced, but he hasn’t got enough time to start arguing as a little human being comes barreling into his legs. ”Whoah!”

Hanging onto Louis’ lovely husband is his own God daughter, Ariel, the apple of Fizzy’s and her wife, Tanya’s eyes. ”Hi you,” Louis squeals as he picks the girl up, her cheeks blushing as she avoids looking Liam and Zayn in the eye.

”Are you feeling shy, Ariel?” Dan coos from Louis’ side, his index finger wiggling to tickle the girl’s side.

”No,” she whispers, but hides her face in her uncle’s neck nevertheless.

She earns several heart-eyes and gentle strokes to her hair as she keeps hiding out. Louis lets her hang off him as the adults continue talking about the amount of children that has suddenly – or what _feels_ like suddenly – appeared in their lives. When Louis and Harry first got together, almost precisely ten years ago, there had been no children at all. It had just been them, living day at a time, no idea if any of the others besides Louis would even be blessed with one child.

Roughly a year later Liam and Zayn had welcomed Grace, this little bundle of cocoa-skinned joy, into their home, soon followed by Lottie and Tommy’s Nicola and really after that, there had been no end to the children. In the hindsight, maybe that had something to do with Louis’ sudden urge to have one of their own, despite always thinking he’d never want any other children than Abbie. After Nicola and Grace there had been barely two years when Lottie gave birth to Johanna and then the following year there’d been Emmett, too, and for Zayn and Liam, Sam, and even Gemma had a girl of her own, Avery. Children kept coming in from windows and doors to all of their family members and just like that, it didn’t seem that crazy of an idea to have one in their house as well, and so they’d started the process of getting Elias.

It had felt frustrating at times, especially when Lottie had had _another_ child, Albert, before their little son had even been born, before they even fully knew if they’d have this one. But it was worth the wait. And now, now that there’s all these kids around them, Louis sort of feels at ease. His son will never have to be alone, because he has such a large family to hold him up, even when Louis isn’t there to look after him anymore. He knows Harry feels the same way, even if they’ve never explicitly discussed it – he’s seen it in his husband’s eyes whenever he’s brought up the fact how lucky he’d been with Abbie, for her to have so many aunts and an uncle to take care of her.

Sometimes it gets tiring to have all these massive family gatherings, but in the end, it’s such a richness. Louis tries not to forget about it, even when it gets rough, trying to keep in touch with all of them, trying to be involved in all of their lives. But he wants to be, doesn’t want to miss a thing. He’ll never make that mistake with anyone ever again.

”Ariel?” Fizzy peeks her head into the kitchen and her daughter wriggles in Louis’ hold, until he puts her down and lets her run to her mother.

”You leaving?” Harry asks, turning to the woman at the door.

Felicite nods just as Tanya appears beside her to thank them for a lovely party. ”Come visit us in Donny, yeah?”

They share goodbye hugs and promise to grace them with a visit, at _least_ before Christmas. After the first couple is out of the door, others start gathering their things as well, Lottie and Tommy first, collecting their children in one place with much effort, so that the whole family can squeeze them and kiss them annoyingly.

”Skype session, next week,” Charlotte says, pointing her two index fingers at Harry as if she was holding a gun, to which Harry answers with a blow kiss.

When the two eldest of Louis’ sisters have disappeared, Dan makes his leave as well, promising to come for Sunday roast the following week. Ernest and Doris leave with their father with muttered grumbles about having to let go of their favourite little nephew, Elias as well nearly bursting into tears, until Sam and Grace drag him to play with them. Before the younger twins slip out, Louis pulls Ernest into a tight hug and makes sure he knows he can call Louis anytime if it gets difficult for him. He’s made it his personal mission to be there for his brother, the younger just having come to terms with his asexuality.

After most guests have disappeared, Phoebe and Daisy as well taken their leave to make their train, Louis and Harry put Elias to bed for an afternoon nap, before making room for themselves amongst their last visitors. Liam and Zayn are pressed together on one end of the L-shaped couch, while Niall and Andie are playing a game of FIFA, baby monitor beside them to watch over Kimmy’s sleep. Abbie and her pregnant belly are enjoying lounging in the armchair, cold glass of water in her hand, as Lucas rubs her shoulders, the good fiancé he is.

”Where are Sam and Grace?” Harry asks as he flops down on the couch, pulling Louis in his lap, arms circling the older’s waist.

”In the kitchen,” Zayn nods towards the said room, ”Playing board games. Still amazes them, that not everything fun happens on a screen.”

Louis snorts as he covers Harry’s large paws with his own tinier hands, sharing warmth, though it’s not even cold, the fall having offered an unexpected but welcome sunshine and relatively high temperatures for England. ”Tell me about it. I swear to God Elias is not touching the PlayStation before he’s seven or something.”

Harry laughs from behind him and Louis knows it’s because the younger wholeheartedly (yet respectfully, as Harry likes to point out) disagrees with him when it comes to keeping their child away from screens. He insists it’s impossible in this day and age, which has only made Louis more determined to try harder.

”Not to be a spoilsport, Lou,” Liam speaks, amused, ”But it’s literally like trying to avoid stepping in a single puddle during the year in this goddamned country. Impossible.”

”Doesn’t mean I won’t try,” Louis deadpans and earns a round of laughter and one particularly loud scoff from Abbie.

”Dad, you got to loosen up,” she sighs, exasperated, Lucas’ hands still on her shoulders, ”You’re starting to sound like grandpa-Carl. This aging thing doesn’t suit you.”

Louis can feel Harry’s arms tighten around him as he makes to get up, his eyes bulging. ” _What?_ ” he very nearly screeches, ”I am _not_ like your mother’s father! I’m not even _old_ , Abigail, let alone old-fashioned.”

A warm breath hits the nape of his neck, then, comforting and familiar. ”Love,” Harry says, his voice soft and persuasive, ”Now, don’t freak out, but she might have a point. Just a little bit.”

And _what?_

Louis is _so_ not like Eleanor’s father, the man practically senile and well-known for his traditional view of the world – something him and Louis used to clash over more often than not. Louis twists in Harry’s arms, outraged, even though he clearly registers all the amused smirks on the faces of their guests.

”I’m not Carl!”

Harry shakes his head, small smile colouring his lips and his jade eyes soft. ”No, but you are getting old-fashioned,” the younger tuts his tongue at Louis as the he tries to start arguing, ”It’s natural, babe. Happens to all of us at some point.”

And, yes, _fine_. Louis can admit that much, because it’s not just him, if looked from that point of view. He says as much. ”Right. Then Niall’s old-fashioned as well, because he refuses to start driving one of them fully electric cars,” Louis accusingly points at the brunette man, who’s turned around and paused the game, ”Tesla, Niall, that’s what you should be driving like the rest of us who are good people.”

Niall scowls, but he’s not offended, not really. Louis would know, because it’s not like they’re actually mad at the Irish man for being overly attached to his Toyota that can still run on petrol if needed – a rarity these days, and soon also illegal, really. Niall will have to let go of the vehicle in a year or so, when the new law will come into effect.

”We’ve been looking for one, aight?” he mutters darkly, ”But I won’t be there when they crush Lydia, just so you know. That diamond is one of a kind.”

People in the room laugh, but are interrupted by Niall turning his finger to Zayn who raises his brows in question, crinkles by his eyes. ”You should move to this decade as well then, dick,” Niall lifts his chin proudly, ”Abandon the spray paints old man. They’re not _in_ anymore, for Christ’s sake.”

Zayn looks displeased immediately, his brows furrowing and lips pursing as he presses closer to Liam’s side, seeking refuge from the attack he wasn’t expecting. Louis already feels better as the banter starts between his two best mates, his own attention shifting to Harry and his warmth coating Louis’ back. He leans back to the man’s chest, head falling on Harry’s shoulder and their cheeks pressing together. Louis can smell the familiar lime shampoo that they’ve using for years and it’s just nice.

Harry’s arms wound around him are secure and slightly heavy – like they’ve always been. So much has happened in the past eleven years the two of them have known each other and sometimes it still gets to Louis, just how much. Sometimes when they fight, when Louis has gotten too into a project, when he’s nearly drowned himself in the designs of a new house or public building, and unintentionally left Harry alone with taking care of Elias, Louis thinks Harry might walk. It’s only for a fraction of a second that the thought lasts, but it appears, as stupid as that is.

Life with a baby, with a toddler, - aside from being rewarding and incredibly humbling - is hectic and messy and trying on a relationship. It keeps the both of them on their toes in more ways than just one, but Louis still wouldn’t change a thing. Elias has tested their strength and their love for each other more than anything ever has, probably, because he’s not what one would call an ’easy child’, but rather someone with a temper and a strong personality. If Louis didn’t know for a fact it’s impossible for Elias to be biologically their own son, he’d argue that the boy has more than plenty of his and Harry’s less admirable traits, such as stubbornness, jealousy and the tendency to be a diva at times when it’s the least wanted.

They love their son, more than life itself, of course, but raising a child like him has definitely put a strain on the two of them from time to time. They did couples’ therapy for a while, when it looked like they’d lost their touch when it comes to maintaining a relationship while raising a child and after that it had all been much clearer to Louis. Not because the therapy was exceptional, but because during those three sessions they went to, he’d realised something: he wanted to fight for this.

Louis had talked about his first marriage in the counselling and the psychologist had pointed out that – aside from Louis not actually having been in love with Eleanor – Louis hadn’t wanted to fight when his and El’s marriage had started to crumble, already during Abbie’s first years. Their relationship had started wilting years and years before Louis even realised, because he never held the marriage in high regard in the first place. But with Harry – with Harry he’s always known they’re worth fighting for, no matter what.

So, the sleepless nights and stressful, long days haven’t been as hard to handle after understanding that. Understanding that Louis is always willing to do whatever it takes to make them work, make Harry happy. He’d said as much and things have been better for a long time now, maybe even more so than before Elias came along.

”What’re you thinking?” Harry asks, voice low and quiet next to Louis’ ear.

”Us,” he answers honestly, ”About how much I love you and how much I’m willing to do for this. Us.”

Louis can feel Harry smiling against his cheek, the younger’s arms holding on tighter again. ”I love you, too,” the man mumbles with his deep, raspy voice, still unchanged after all these years.

The older smiles as well, twisting his head to the right to capture Harry’s soft lips in a slow, languid kiss. The touch still sends a pleasant shiver right down Louis’ spine when they’re like this – close to each other, wrapped up in their own little world that no one’s ever quite found their way into, no matter how much they’ve tried.

”Marry me?” Louis asks, already grinning and fully anticipating the surprised giggle from Harry.

”No offence, love, but think I did that, like, eight years ago or something.”

”I know,” the older shrugs, smiling and losing himself in Harry’s green eyes, ”I know, but still. Marry me. Again and again.”

The taller man’s smile is radiant, his cheeks a little pink and eyes searching Louis’. He looks positively happy, content – also, young. Much younger than thirty-four. ”You’re not making sense, love.”

”Am, too,” Louis insists and squeezes Harry’s hands with his own, ”I want to renew our vows. And then, I want you to marry me in every single parallel universe and other life that exists or will exist or has existed somewhere in the history. Marry me.”

Louis is absolutely _not_ making sense, but that’s what spending years upon years with one Harry Edward Tomlinson-Styles does to a man, he reckons. You go a little crazy for his emerald eyes and soft, brown curls and dimples and brilliant, sunny personality, his heart that’s bigger than Jupiter, possibly bigger than the Sun itself. You go a little crazy, period.

Harry beams at him, chastely pecking Louis’ lips and then shaking his head, teeth pushing down on his plump lower lip and turning it white. ”Anytime,” he then whispers, ”Anywhere. Just as long as it’s you.”

Louis’ heart-strings play a beautiful melody, pumping warmer blood into his system as he lets the silly smile overtake his slightly chapped lips. They don’t move, they don’t speak, but it’s one of those moments Louis will remember for the rest of his life. One of those moments that’ll never change, no matter how much his shoddy human memory will try and alter it – it’ll remain the same way, just like the handful of others he’s collected in the mental mahogany box inside his mind. Just like when they stood underneath that lamp post in Liverpool, cheeks pink from the wind and each other, though neither would’ve admitted it back then.

”Daddy?”

Louis lifts his head to find Elias standing under the arch that leads to their living room, the boy rubbing his sleepy eyes and dragging his blankie (the exact same kind that Linus from Peanuts had) behind him.

”Did ya wake up, little guy?” Louis coos, straightening up in Harry’s lap and beckoning the boy to come to him.

Elias trudges to them, all of the others in the room quieting down when they notice the little boy climbing in Louis’ lap, blankie tightly pulled to his chest as he’s being cradled inside his father’s arms. ”Sleep good, rookie?”

”No,” Elias says, but he looks perfectly content, his eyes tiredly blinking to take in the people in the room. ”Is Gee and Sammy here?” He asks when he spots Zayn and Liam on the other couch, both men waving at him with small smiles on their lips.

”In the kitchen,” Harry answers, his hand rubbing the boy’s back gently.

”Wanna go play board games with them?” Zayn asks.

Elias blinks a few times and yawns, his cheek nestled against Louis’ chest when he pulls the blankie to his face. ”Soon,” he then mumbles.

Nobody pesters the boy more, but several people coo at him and Louis can’t help the flood of love that he feels for his son and all the people in his life, really, from filling him up all the way to the brim. It’s good, he thinks and hold Elias closer, finally engaging himself in a conversation with Abbie and Andie.

Harry joins them as well and Elias sleeps for a while longer, before eventually regaining his energy and bouncing to the kitchen to join the other kids. Harry gets up to give them something to eat and Louis lets him go, though he feels a little bit colder instantly. Abbie notices it, judging by the way she rolls her eyes at him and moves to sit next to him instead, when Lucas goes to make a work call.

”How’s Cherrie doing?” Louis asks, diverting Abbie’s attention from the inevitable teasing about Louis’ codependency by bringing up the soon-to-be-born baby of hers.

She groans, scrunching her face in discomfort, but contradicts the gestures by rubbing her belly gently, lovingly. ”Wish she’d come out already,” she admits, sighing, ”I’m really done with this belly. My bladder is killing me.”

Louis gives her a sympathetic smile and squeezes her arm. ”Only a couple more weeks, right?”

Abbie nods. ”I can’t fathom how granny did this so many times,” she snorts, patting the huge belly and Louis’ eyes turn soft, ”And two sets of twins, too. I mean, wow.”

”She loved it,” Louis says, thinking back to the time when Jay was pregnant with the older twins, when they’d been sharing tips about pregnancy, about the baby years. Or more like Jay had been teaching Louis, who’d just about been panicking about fatherhood and responsibility and whatnot. She’d been happy, though, always, when she was pregnant. She always used to claim she’d been a nervous-wreck when she was expecting Louis, but for some reason Louis just always thought she must have been a natural, having seen her carry and raise so many children with such ease. And even when it wasn’t easy, she made it through with dignity and love still attached to her perfect heart.

A twinge of missing peeks its head from the corner of Louis’ heart, stronger today than most days. ”Your granny loved being pregnant and she loved the baby years and everything that came after. She was made for it.”

Abbie smiles, although a little wistfully, no doubt mirroring Louis’ own expression. ”Yeah, she was, wasn’t she,” the woman shrugs, a small sniffle following, ”Fucking pregnancy hormones.”

Louis laughs at that and wraps his arm around his daughter’s shoulder, pulling her closer. ”You know, whenever I miss her,” he starts, eyes set on Abbie’s side-profile, ”I think of the time you were born. She was there, at the hospital, even though Pheebs and Dais were supposed to be born in a month and I told her she shouldn’t come and stay up all night with us. She refused to listen to me and made Mark look after the kids. She had to sit alone when I was in the delivery room with your mum, but she stayed all of those nine agonizing hours it took El to push you out and then she came to see you,” Louis speaks softly, thinking back to the time he saw his mother cry for the first time after his own father had walked out on them.

”Yeah? Why do you think of that when you miss her?” Abbie wonders, eyes curious.

”Because,” Louis smiles, nudging his girl’s head with his own gently, ”She cried when she held you. And that was when I realised how goddamn loved I was, no matter what. I was young then, afraid, too. There were all these what ifs and maybes floating around, but she had my back one hundred percent and she loved you unconditionally. You were my gem and the love I felt for you -,” Louis shrugs, holding Abbie’s gaze, ”- she felt that exact same love for me, only twenty-one times more.”

Abbie’s eyes water again as she exhales a wet laugh, lightly punching Louis’ arm. ”You were twenty-one when I was born,” she mumbles, sheepish smile settling on her lips, ”Does that mean you now love me twenty-six times as much as you did when I was born, since that’s how old I am?”

 _More than_ , Louis thinks to himself as he looks at the beautiful woman his daughter has become, all on her own when Louis looked away for a moment – just a fraction of a moment, really. ”Yeah, that’s what it means.”

Abbie’s eyes are locked on her belly and Louis knows she’s imagining the child in there, the beautiful girl that’ll be in her arms in mere weeks – the small miracle she doesn’t even know how much she’ll love. Louis would know. ”I can’t wait to meet her,” he says, when Harry’s hands softly land on his shoulder, slightly startling him and Abbie both.

The two look up, meeting Louis’ husband’s smiling, green eyes. ”Me neither,” he says to Abbie.

”Harry, I was thinking,” Abbie says, twisting her body around enough to face Harry who’s standing behind the couch, ”Would you like to be Cherrie’s God father? It’d mean a lot to me and Lucas both.”

And the flood of warmth is right back in Louis’ heart, if it ever left, as Harry leaps to hug Abbie and chants ’yes’ about a million and one times, people in the living room finally taking interest in the conversation and rejoicing for Harry, when they hear what’s going on.

Silently, in his mind, Louis thinks that he would never give up this family. However heartbreaking it is sometimes to see so many of his close ones struggling with different kind of problems that life throws at them, it never overshadows the support and the happiness that they bring in each other’s lives. Whatever choices Louis made in the past that he thought had sealed his faith, he doesn’t think any of them matter anymore, because clearly you can never know what life can give you, if you just listen to your heart and a little bit your best friends and mum as well.

Even more silently, Louis angles his head slightly up and thanks his mother for always showing him the love he thought he didn’t deserve. For always standing behind him, when he was unsure of his decisions, when he was unsure of where to step next, yet for never pushing him, only guiding. He thanks her and he thanks whatever cosmic energy it was that brought all these wonderful people into his life, because truth be told: Louis Tomlinson-Styles would be nothing without them.

Harry leans his elbows on the backrest of the couch, then, his lips pecking Louis’ cheek. ”I’m going to be a God father for the second time,” he near-squeals, ”Think Ed’s gonna mind? I mean Patrick is a wonderful kid and I’ll definitely still have time for him as well, but you know.”

”He won’t mind, Ed never would,” Louis chuckles, weaving his fingers in the younger’s thick curls, locking their gazes.

Where blue meets green, that’s where Louis thinks he belongs, even with all these great people around him. That’s where his home is at. Well, that and also a little bit in Harry’s heart as well, if he gets really sappy.

”I love you, Harry,” he whispers as Abbie’s pretending not to listen in next to them, ”Marry me, yeah?”

Harry’s lips pull into a smile in time with Louis’ and he leans in to seal their lips together for a beat or two. ”Gladly, Lou.”

**Author's Note:**

> The people and their ages:  
> Louis: 47 II Harry: 34 II Abbie, Daisy & Phoebe: 26 II Fizzy: 29 II Lottie: 38  
> Ernie & Doris: 19 II Zayn: 45 II Liam: 40 II Niall: 39 II Dan: 59
> 
> Kids:  
> Louis & Harry: (Abbie, 26) Elias, 4  
> Lottie & Tommy: Nicola, 9 – Johanna, 7 – Emmett, 6 – Albert, 5  
> Fizzy & Tanya: Ariel, 1,5  
> Abbie & Lucas: pregnant with 'Cherrie'  
> Zayn & Liam: Grace, 9 – Sam, 6  
> Niall & Andie: Kimmy, 1  
> Gemma (36) & Michael: Avery, 6


End file.
